WE Are Writers

Presented by

Diane AndersonESL Teacher, Grades 3-6

Ernie Pyle Paideia Magnet Elementary School, IPS #90

November 14, 2015

INTESOL

Indianapolis, IN

The “Me” in “We” Are Writers

How I Started to Believe in BeingA Teacher Who Writes-

Reading, Writing and LearningFrom Mentor Authors

Writing For and With My Students

Project AlianzaDr. Katie Brooks Dr. Susan Adams

15 SENTENCE PORTRAIT

In this writing activity, students are given a series of prompts, one at a time, to guide them throughwriting a description of a person they are close to.

Instructions for Writing a 15 Sentence Portrait

REVEAL ONLY ONE INSTRUCTION AT A TIME AS STUDENTS WRITE

First, picture in  your mind a person you have strong feelings about. They may be living or dead, but they should be someone you know or knew personally. For a title, choose an emotion or color that represents the person. You will not mention the person’s name in writing.

Sentence 1: Choose one of the “starters” and complete the sentence. You stand there… No one is here… In this (memory, photo, dream or whatever)… I think sometimes… The face is… We had been…

Sentence 2: Write a sentence with a color in it.

Sentence 3: Write a sentence with a body part in it.

Sentence 4: Write a sentence with a simile.

Sentence 5: Write a sentence of over 25 words.

Sentence 6: Write a sentence under 8 words.

Sentence 7: Write a sentence with a piece of clothing in it.

Sentence 8: Write a sentence with a wish in it.

Sentence 9: Write a sentence with an animal in it.

Sentence 10: Write a sentence in which three or more words alliterate.

Sentence 11: Write a sentence with two or more commas.

Sentence 12: Write a sentence with a smell and a color in it.

Sentence 13: Write a sentence with a simile.

Sentence 14: Write a sentence that could carry an exclamation point (but don’t use it).

Sentence 15: Write a sentence to end this portrait that uses the word or words you chose for a title. 

BLUES In this memory she is missed by everone in my family. She loved to snack on white shugery things. She had eyes as green as grass. She smelled as fresh as a rose. I loved her so much because she was my best friend and she was loved throw out my family and she alwase will be. She was alwase nice to everyone. She was alwase wearing regular close like everyone esle in my family. I just wish she would come back from the hevans. She was alwase a all animal person but she espesily loved cats. We would alwase play with each other when i saw her. She butiful, smart, and cool. She alwase had raindow colord grape or strawbarrey smellig popsicle. Her hair was as brown as fall leaves. She would yell AHHH!!! somtimes. When she died i had the blues. 

Braidon (4th Grader)

Where I Am From by George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins, from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. I am from the dirt under the back porch. (Black, glistening, it tasted like beets.) I am from the forsythia bush and the Dutch elm whose long-gone limbs I remember as if they were my own. I'm from fudge and eyeglasses, from Imogene and Alafair. I'm from the know-it-alls and the pass-it-ons, from Perk up! and Pipe down! I'm from He restoreth my soul with a cottonball lamb and ten verses I can say myself. I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch, fried corn and strong coffee. From the finger my grandfather lost to the auger, and the eye my father shut to keep his sight. Under my bed was a dress box spilling old pictures, a sift of lost faces to drift beneath my dreams. I am from those moments--snapped before I budded --leaf-fall from the family tree.

www.georgeellalyon.com/index.html

Names in your family

Things that remind that remind you of family members and what they do in your family Things that remind you of your family home (where you live or where the family always gathers) Places Important to Your Family (countries, states, cities- where you came from, where you live) Family traits/characteristics Family Beliefs (the beliefs and values that are important to your family) Family Favorite Foods (the foods you always have when the family gets together) Family Events (the stories that are always told when the family gets together) Family Treasures (heirlooms or keepsakes)

Family sayings

Where I Am FromI am from pictures with my family, decorating the living room on Christmas, and old memories on the walls I am from happy people, a family that LOVES going to lakes and celebrating special days and holidays  I am from Florencia the cleaner, Ezequiel the worker, and Rodrigo the soccer player I am from awesome, like the best tamales, great zopes, yummy horchata and lemonade I am from going on trips, roller skating on Saturdays, and going to Lieber Lake  I am from the amazing racing place, one of the best children’s museums, and from the great valleys of Mexico I am from “Clean your room!” and “Clean your shoes before coming in the house!”  I am from drumming drums, video game sounds, and piano music I am from craziness, happiness, and jokes I am from the best family, and I am grateful for that -Fatima

A Writing Community

SOLSC: Slice of Life Story Challenge, 31 Days of Writing Every March

Year-Round: Slice of Life Tuesdays, Daily Posts by Blog Authors

Slice of Life- a story, poem, or collection of words and photos that tells about a small moment in time and offersinsight into an ordinary person’s life

https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com

https://newtreemom.wordpress.com

Daffodils poke through the brown,Frilly little cups serving sunshine and springelle1955 says: I love your choice of words – poke, frilly little cups serving – just right.

writekimwrite says: Daffodils always make me smile just like your lovely words just did.

Ruth Ayres says: “serving sunshine” I think I’ll let that inspire me today.

margaretsmn says: “Frilly little cups,” indeed. Love this tiny glow of spring.

Jeff Anderson

https://www.stenhouse.com/content/revision-decisions(click product preview)

POWER WRITES- a strategy to get words spilling onto the page so students can feel thoughtsmoving to their hands and to the page; a wayto get past the voice that says “I can’t write”

Round 1

teaching home

Round 2

like dislike

Round 3

read write

POWER WRITE ROUNDS

• Teacher displays two words; students select one• Teacher says: “Write as much as you can, as fast

as you can, as well as you can in one minute! Go!” • Students write for one minute.• Teacher calls time: “ Stop. Pencils up. Now draw a

line under what you wrote. Count your words and write the number under the line.”

• Students record word count on personal chart.• Teacher records results on class chart.

Between rounds, students enjoy sharingtheir Power Writes, which reinforces that writingis for expression and communication.

Students will:• Have an audience• Hear various ways they could have responded

to the prompt, in different genres• Hear their writing voice, and how it is like or different from their speaking voice

POWER WRITES Options and Extensions

• Students use both words• “Super” Power Write- write for 3 minutes

all at once and compare to writing in 3one minute bursts

• Make a hallway display with the title “What can you write in one minute?” by having students choose their favorite one minute writing and write it on a sentence strip

• Students choose a favorite Power Write and extend it into a longer piece of writing

• Do rounds of one minute edits• Use Power Writes to review words and concepts

in any content area (writing has been shown to be an effective tool for enhancing students’ learning of content)

https://newtreemom.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/power-writing-update-slice-26/

https://newtreemom.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/more-more-they-said-slice-9/

5-7-10

Another quick write activity: 5-7-10, isa writing and talking activity.

First make a list of hot topics on the board. Then students free write for 5 minutes. Next, in 7 minutes, partners read their writing to each other and discuss. Finally, students write for 10 more minutes.

Sentence Level Writing Practice:-Commas in a series-Subordinating conju

His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Maya Angelou

Miranda’s room smells of cat litter, Yankee candles, and hurrying.

-Mrs. Anderson

Sente n, c, and e.

For this sentence level activity, collect thenecessary mentor sentences. If possible, bringthe texts with post-it notes marking the sentences-or write sentences on sentence strips in advance.

 A After you have lived many mountains and valleys, we will be together.

Esperanza Rising Pam Munoz Ryan A Although Stone Fox and the other character are purely fictitious and of my creation, the tragic ending of this story belongs to the legend and is reported to have actually happened.

Stone Fox John Reynolds Gardiner A As far as I can see, all this story proves is that Dwight is crazy as a bald gorilla.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda Tom Angleberger 

W When all my friends are in their eighties and their bodies are broken down, I’ll just be getting started.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney W While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone J.K. Rowling U Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 

B Because of Sally, Bugs never bullied Encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia Brown, Super Sleuth Donald Sobol B Before she finished her sentence, Wilbur was asleep.   Charlotte’s Web E.B. White

I If you are among evil people, you must be like the lion, gathering strength and awaiting your time.

Listening to Lions Gloria Whelan S Since Grandfather died, she lives with us.

Any Small Goodness Tony Johnston

AAAWWUBBIS!!!!!

Opener, sentence.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it commanded instant attention.

Maria had insulted him in front of everyone, and he intendedto make her pay.

The House of the Scorpion-Nancy Farmer

 FANBOYS FOR

The Problem Finder- CONNECTS A SOLUTION WITH A PROBLEM

ANDThe Matchmaker- CONNECTS TWO IDEAS THAT GO TOGETHER

NOR

Mr. Negative- NEGATIVE FORM OF OR

BUTKing Conflict- CONNECTS TWO IDEAS THAT GO AGAINST EACH OTHER

OR

The Decision-Maker CONNECTS TWO CHOICES

YETBut’s Evil Twin Brother CONNECTS TWO IDEAS THAT GO AGAINST EACH OTHER

SO

The Problem Solver- CONNECTS A PROBLEM WITH A RESULT

Sentence, FANBOY sentence.

Rose Capelli and Lynne Dorfman

* mentor texts * “your turn”

lessonshttps://www.stenhouse.com/authors/lynne-dorfman

(click on Quick View, then Product Preview)

MENTOR TEXTS: Literature we can return to again and again to show, not just tell, students how to write well- can be revisited often for multiple purposes

Well-loved by the teacher and known inside-out

Examples of writer’s craft

Connect to curriculum

Your Turn Lessons: Gradual Release of Responsibility

Hook (short passage from a mentor text)Purpose (teacher tells students what the author does that they will try in their own writing)Brainstorm (list some ideas)Model (teacher writes, thinking aloud, in front of students)Shared/Guided Writing (the class, small groups, or partners)Independent Writing (students start a new piece or revise previous work)Reflection (students reflect on how the strategy worked for them)

HOOK- Snow drifted through the streets and now that it was dusk, Christmas trees glittered in the windows. Too Many Tamales -Gary Soto

PURPOSE- Writers, today I am going to show you how to borrow an author’s sentence structure to help you write an opening sentence. We’re going to practice writing an opening sentence that helps thereader visualize the setting.

BRAINSTORM- Snow drifted through the streets and now that it was dusk, Christmas trees glittered in the windows.Brainstorm other nouns(weather related) that could be used in place of snow, verbs that could be used with the nouns, and time-related words that could be used in place of dusk.

MODEL- Use some of the brainstorm words to replace the underlined words:Flowers bloomed in the garden and now that it was summer, butterflies flew from bloom to bloom.

GUIDED WRITING- Invite students to try creating a new sentence as a group, write on chart paper.

INDEPENDENT WRITING- Students write a sentence on their own in their writing notebooks to begin a new piece.

REFLECTION- Ask questions about how this strategy helped them begin and when they could use it again.

www.readwritethink.org lesson plans, student interactives,

http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write/ a summer writing “bootcamp” for teachers

http://www.debrafrasier.com/index.php one of many great author websites

http://corbettharrison.com/index.html countless ideas

http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/ keep up with children’s/middle grades literature

http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/ poetry

http://nanowrimo.org/ write a novel in a month